Lawmakers may roll the dice to finance state budget

Thursday

When money is tight and there’s no hope in sight, lawmakers often roll the dice.

They bet on horses, slot machines or other new sources of gambling revenue to prop up the state budget.

“We talk about gambling as an economic development mechanism,” Cynthia Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, said Thursday, “but it is also always the last straw in terms of balancing the budget.”

When money is tight and there’s no hope in sight, lawmakers often roll the dice.

They bet on horses, slot machines or other new sources of gambling revenue to prop up the state budget.

“We talk about gambling as an economic development mechanism,” Cynthia Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, said Thursday, “but it is also always the last straw in terms of balancing the budget.”

That appears to be the case again in the waning days of the General Assembly’s spring session. Legislators from both parties are again looking at gambling expansion as a possible financial jackpot after the apparent collapse of proposals to increase taxes on businesses or individuals.

“I don’t think anybody likes that as a viable way to raise money,” said Rep. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet. “Sometimes it’s your only choice.”

“It’s easier for them to do than to deal with reform or a real solution,” said Anita Bedell, executive director of Illinois Church Action on Alcohol & Addiction Problems, one of the most active anti-gambling lobbyists.

“It’s not coming as a request of people or gamblers wanting more gambling,” she said. “It’s coming from the casino companies and lobbyists. So the legislators, rather than look for real solutions, they all fall back on gambling, because gambling is ready to go all the time.”

Gambling interests hold sway in the General Assembly, Canary said, because “the gaming industry, whether it be horse racing, casinos or whatnot, are huge (campaign) contributors on both sides of the aisle.”

Some influential lawmakers believe, however, that gaming expansion can do more than just add dollars to state coffers.

“The horse racing industry is having a very difficult time right now in Illinois, and I think they need some assistance,” said Sen. Frank Watson of Greenville, leader of the Senate Republican. “I think it’s a viable issue that needs to be discussed.

“It’s a big economic benefit to this state,” he said, adding that horse racing interests include not only track owners but “ancillary businesses” such as agriculture, breeders and trainers. “There is some benefit from gaming, even though it may be distasteful to some – even to myself.”

Other central Illinois lawmakers said they don’t like having to rely on gaming, but they will keep an open mind.

“I certainly don’t want to, but we’ll have to see what the whole package looks like,” said Rep. Rich Brauer, R-Petersburg.

“I’ll have to see what’s on the table and go from there,” said Rep. Don Moffitt, R-Gilson. “It’s certainly not my first choice.”

The revenues are tempting, said Charles Wheeler, a longtime Statehouse reporter and now a college journalism professor.

“When riverboats were first proposed and first approved, nobody anticipated that it would generate the kind of money that it has,” he said.

In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Wheeler said, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley “was opposed to having one in Chicago. He said he didn’t want one of those putt-putts, or something to that effect.”

But after the state began collecting more money than anticipated, “whenever there was a need for revenue, people would look at that as being a relatively painless way because it’s a self-imposed tax. People who go and gamble do it willingly. It’s not like they’re being forced to,” Wheeler said.

“Often when we get to the end of the session, it rises up as an issue and then disappears,” Canary said. “This may be the exception to that, because we are in such bad budget straits.”

“It’s not an ideal solution to the problem,” Wheeler said, “but at the moment, it seems to be the path of least resistance.”